I am trying to see if there is a special tool that I will need to install a set of struts on a 94 GT. Could I just use regular tools, or is there a concern about the springs causing serious injury.
94GT Contv. Candy Apple Red A few goodiesJeffery Privott opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com:
uh,, ye-ah! Buy a freakin' BOOK!!!
I did it with normal tools, I had to get creative on the top mounts for the front struts since I didn't have a special tool. One was a good design that I could do with regular tools the other required the creativity. Can't remember if it was the OEMs or the bilstiens... prolly the OEMs. It will depend on what they did to the top of the shaft so you can stop it from rotating.
Why would you be messing with the springs?
An impact wrench will make that top nut a lot easier to get off. It would help with bottom two bolts as well as they are on there pretty good. Otherwise you'll need a good breaker bar.
MadDAWG
No need to take the springs out when changing the struts.
MadDAWG
No, for struts only you do need to touch the springs at all. Just make sure the lower control arm is supported by a jackstand or something similar. The strut is the only thing that holds the spring in there, but you can easily use a jackstand to prevent the spring from extending too far. however..... what you do might have a problem with is removing the nut on top of the old strut. I drove to a shop and had them loosening it with an impact wrench. For the rest it is a piece of cake, really. besides at least one jackstand you need a regular jack too. Remove NO-SPAM from email address when replying
The only other thing is the lower bolts/nuts (dont remember which) are seriously torqued. You'll need a big breaker bar to remove then. You'll also need a bigger than normal torque wrench to snug them back up correctly.
Since you'll be getting a book with instructions, you'll find the torque values in there too.
LJH
95GT
yup, but breaker bars are cheap and in my opinion a requirement for this kind of work. (a pipe that slips over your wrench could work also) I figured a way to get the top nut loose. Never tried it, BUT I think it should work. Here is how. After you take the strut out you take a BIG flathead screwdriver (preferable with flat sides and not round) , stick it in a vise upside down (flathead sticking up). Hold the strut upside down onto the screwdrivers head, then untwist the nut with a wrench. What do you think ? This is probably also a good way to get the new strut setup. The OEM bolt is on VERY tight. There was no way I could get the nut off the first time I tried it by just using a screwdriver and a wrench. And impact wrench will do it but I have also heard that by rotating the inside of the strut fast you can mess up the seals of the strut. You probably do not want to tighten it this way. YMMV
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